Daniel Petric, who shot his mother to death and badly wounded his father after they banned him from playing Halo 3 in a 2007 incident, has been sentenced to life in prison by an Ohio judge. Under the terms of the sentence, Petric will be eligible for parole in 23 years.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that an emotional Petric (left) tried to address the court but was unable to speak.
While delivering his verdict in the case in January, Judge James Burge seemed to blame violent video games:
This Court's opinion is that we don't know enough about these video games...
It's my firm belief that after a while the same physiological responses occur that occur in the ingestion of some drugs. And I believe that an addiction to these games can do the same thing...
The other dangerous thing about these games, in my opinion, is that when these changes occur, they occur in an environment that is delusional. Because you can shoot these aliens, and they're there again the next day. You have to shoot them again. And I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea, at the time he hatched this plot, that if he killed his parents, they would be dead forever.
See our story from earlier today for more background on the case.
Comments
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
"And I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea, at the time he hatched this plot, that if he killed his parents, they would be dead forever."
Bullshit.
- Warren
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
Double Bullshit.
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Papa Midnight
http://www.thesupersoldiers.com
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Papa Midnight
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
Triple bullshit. Seriously, that's exactly my response to the article. My only consolation is that they chose to convict him, rather than let him out on an insanity plea.
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
So according to this quote, did Dan shoot his parents expecting them to be back the next day? Was the purpose of the killing just so that he can have fun shooting annoyances with his gun on a routine basis and nothing to do with the fact that he wanted his parents to be out of his life forever?
GameSnooper
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
"Petric gathered his unsuspecting parents in the living room and told them that he had a surprise for them and that they should shut their eyes. That's when he pulled out his father's gun and began shooting."
I don't remember THIS SCENARIO in Halo!
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
Agreed. I really hope the judge realized just how dumb that sounds after saying it. The guy is too old to not know the consequences of death and for the judge to honestly believe that playing video games several days prior would leave a person in a drug-like stupor where death isn't death is just insane. Even drugs don't work that way and I honestly question the credential and mental health of any person who knows so little about the human psyche.
Murder will always be murder, regardless of what substance or media the person has been exposed to. You can't let this idiot get off light because videogames were involved, the justice system isn't supposed to work that way.
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
I have been high out of my mind on a variety of drugs (I'm clean now) I've never once not realized that hurting or killing someone is bad and that death is permanent. I've played a crap load of games too, for hours on end sometimes when I was younger, and same deal.
The judge obvioulsy has had little contact with video games, knows nothing about them, and hence fears them. If someone would sit down with this guy and play a few Wii games maybe he'd realize how assinine his comments were.
Re: Halo 3 Teen Killer Gets Life in Murder of Mom... Parole ...
Sounds to me like the Judge is in a "drug-like stupor."
It's this commentor's belief that we don't know enough about these legal cases...
It's my firm belief that after a while, the same physiological responses occur that occur in the ingestion of some drugs. And I believe that an addiction to a this court of law can do the same thing...
The other dangerous thing about these courts, in my opinion, is that when these changes occur, they occur in an environment that is delusional. Because you can sentence these murderers to prison, and they're there again the next day. You have to incarcarate them again. And I firmly believe that Judge James Burge had no idea, at the time he hatched this plot, that if he laxed on the penalty, others would get off easy as well.